


Next year we'll meet again, alright?

by velvetcat09



Category: Gintama
Genre: Angst and Tragedy, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:22:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26290318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetcat09/pseuds/velvetcat09
Summary: Looking back, Hijikata couldn’t understand it still, but a part of him was more disappointed that Gintoki didn’t take Hijikata with him, rather than the why-ness of it all.
Relationships: Hijikata Toshirou/Sakata Gintoki
Comments: 4
Kudos: 62





	Next year we'll meet again, alright?

**Author's Note:**

> i couldnt sleep again

Six years ago, the Shinsengumi disbanded after the death of The Great General, Ruling Shogun of Edo the 14th, Tokugawa Shigeshige. At the aftermath of the shogun’s assassination, the Director of the Police Department Matsudaira Katakuriko and the Commander of Special Police Force Shinsengumi Kondo Isao were to be executed by decapitation. Both had escaped with the joined aid of the Shinsengumi and Jouishishi. With advice from Katsura Kotarou, the Shinsengumi disbanded for the time being with the troops sent outside of Edo.

Five years ago, Edo descended into chaos from the war against a being named Utsuro. By the end of the war, the Yorozuya disbanded and went on their separate ways.

Three years ago, the Great Edo Central Terminal was destroyed.

Two years ago, The Shinsengumi was disbanded for good. With future development of Edo and the absence of Amanto from their land, it was deemed redundant to have a Special Police Force. Two months after that, several of former Shinsengumi troops moved to work with the Yorozuya under a new branch. Three months after that, Hijikata Toushirou confessed of his love to Sakata Gintoki. He admitted to the man the feeling he has been harboring for past years. The other confessed of returning the feeling and began a relationship with him.

A year ago, Sakata Gintoki went missing.

Looking back, Hijikata couldn’t understand it still, but a part of him was more disappointed that Gintoki didn’t take Hijikata with him, rather than the why-ness of it all. The silver haired man left during the middle of the night, Hijikata had woken up to a cold bed, the house—their house, were baren of any trace from that man. Gintoki didn’t leave anything behind. His bokuto was still in the living room. Gintoki left everything behind.

Hijikata spent the next month relentlessly searching for his lover’s whereabouts. He’s searched through the entire Edo and its surrounding area. There weren’t a single trail of the missing man and Hijikata acknowledged Gintoki’s expertise as a spy, he should’ve known.

A month after that, Hijikata received a phone call in the middle of the night. At the first syllable of “Hey,” from the other end of the line, Hijikata yelled an endless stream of “Where are you? Why did you leave? What’s going on? What’s happening? Are you okay? Where the fuck are you?”.

Hijikata received no answer to his questions. Gintoki ended that phone call with “The moon is beautiful tonight, I thought of you.”

Every month after that, Hijikata would receive a couple of phone call during the night. Gintoki would never answer any of his questions. The closest the silver samurai had with giving the raven an explanation was when he said it was a work, and that he couldn’t stay in Edo for it. Hijikata cursed at him endlessly.

After the fifth month, Hijikata gave up questioning and cursing when he finally acknowledged that Gintoki never answered nor cursed him back. Hijikata savored his limited moments with the man he love through these random calls. They were unpredictable, Hijikata spent a long time during the day trying to figure out a pattern to it but in the end he couldn’t find it. The only thing he noticed every single time was how the moon was always clear and beautiful whenever they called. Hijikata realized then that Gintoki must had been seeing the same moon whenever he called. That connection had made Hijikata smiled between his tears.

They talked about everything, anything that didn’t concern their state. They talked over trivial things, what happened since their last call. Hijikata told him of the rest of the Yorozuya, how they were faring with their missing president, how Edo was faring with their missing hero. Nothing much had changed, people were missing him but nothing had changed in the end, everybody moved on eventually. Gintoki reasoned that everything had stayed the same because the Yorozuya and Edo still has its Vice-President. Hijikata wondered if it was just his destiny to play the vice role every time.

Hijikata had kept himself from telling Gintoki to come back. He was declined when Hijikata yelled his declaration of helping Gintoki with whatever it was that he had to do. Hijikata would help him, regardless of how dangerous, whether it was legal or not, he cried out about their promise to stick together through everything, wailed over Gintoki’s reason to still pushed him away like this. After being declined the fourth time, Hijikata resigned and kept quiet of his anguish. They talked about the series finale of the soap drama that Gintoki used to watch.

It wasn’t easy to keep telling his heart to be quiet whenever Gintoki called. It hammered against his ribcage and choked his windpipe. Gintoki heard him clear whenever Hijikata cried during their call. The silver samurai remained silent, letting Hijikata continue with his words after every one of his weeps. Over time, Hijikata could speak better through his sobs, but it didn’t change the frequency of it happening at all.

“Why won’t you take me with you?”

“I love you.”

“I can’t do this, please, I’m begging you, please come back.”

“I love you.”

“What is it? I know you lied from the start, just tell me, what is it?”

“I love you.”

Hijikata could only clutch his phone while he cried into Gintoki’s futon. This situation where they were far away from each other, where the raven couldn’t see the silver haired man, Hijikata wasn’t unfamiliar with this setting. A few years ago, he had been in a similar situation. But back then, he knew of Gintoki’s pursue, even if the puzzle piece that he had gathered didn’t give him the full picture. In the end, he was right to trust Gintoki, it was rewarded. But now, halfway through what he went through couple years ago, this time Hijikata wasn’t sure if he could keep this going.

“Is this how we’re going to spend the rest of our lives? Just phone calls.” We’d never see each other again, would we?

“I love you.”

Even through the phone, Hijikata knew that what Gintoki had said and kept saying were true. Not one of his words were insincere. And that was the most painful thing about it.

“Gintoki, were you happy?”

“Toushirou,”

“It wasn’t long, but the time we spent together, were you happy?”

Gintoki closed his eyes and held back a sob. His bandage covered hand raised to cover his eyes as the tears fell freely. A thump within his chest and he could feel the agonizing pain of the cursed sigils spreading across his arteries, the marks on his skin grew bolder in shade.

“ _I am._ ”

Five years later, Hijikata Toushirou kissed the figure who sat at the bottom of the stairs of the Great Edo Central Terminal ruins. He bid his love goodbye.

**Author's Note:**

> something about long distance relationship


End file.
